In mid 2014, the sweetest couple’s email hit my inbox and I started jumping up and down. Sheena and Lee, an English couple living in Boston, were planning a big and beautiful wedding for 300 guests in the spring of 2015. They had many of the key components in place: venue, photographer, caterer… those were done. However, they were looking for help with styling and pulling everything together for the big day. We specialise in working with brides living abroad and so this was right up our alley!

Although most of our wedding planning was done via email and long phone meetings, Sheena and Lee made it to the UK for one fabulous planning session. Between meetings with their priest, visiting with family and an engagement party, they squeezed in a full day of wedding planning with myself. I had scheduled several suppliers for them to meet with at their wedding venue so they could make decisions easily while in the UK. There were floral designs to ooh and ah over, linen samples to confirm, and chandeliers choices to finalise. By the end of the day we may all have been exhausted, but so much had been done. When you are planning a wedding while living abroad, it’s important to make good use of your time in the UK!

The wedding was an elegant mix of christian and Hindu traditions and throughout the planning process it was heartwarming to see Sheena and Lee so happily embracing each other’s traditional marriage customs.

Sheena began her hair and make-up at 7:00 am (Yes! You read that right!) because there was a lot to fit into the day. The celebrations began with a traditional civil ceremony. For this, Sheena wore the most stunning white wedding dress.

Meanwhile the dapper groom got ready. Lee was the happiest groom all day – from cheerfully gathering family when it was time to hand out buttonholes to eagerly taking part in the traditional Hindu ceremony entrance with dohl drummers – he never stopped smiling.

After the civil ceremony, the guests made their way to a marquee set up for breakfast.

While the guests were happily eating and drinking in the marquee, Sheena was busy changing into her second look of the day for her Indian Hindu ceremony.

Then, 300 guests filtered into a pavilion that had been decorated in bold and bright colours for the Indian ceremony. My favourite part of the decorations was the aisle runner that had been laid with an intricate rose pattern.

After the Indian ceremony guests were treated to an elegant and celebratory drinks reception. Sheena changed back into her white wedding dress and we transformed the colourful pavilion into an oasis of lush white and blush flowers and twinkling candelabras. Several tables were laid with sparkling linen which made the whole room shimmer in the reflection of candlelight.Each guest’s pacesetting was laid with a blush rose tied with a satin ivory ribbon.

This was such a fun and exciting wedding to plan and day to experience with the couple and their amazing family. Sheena and Lee, thank you for letting us be a part of your day and we wish you many, many years of happiness together!